TOTAL Joins Action Express RacingAction Express Racing is pleased to announce a new partnership with TOTAL Lubricants USA that will see the No. 9 Action Express Racing Corvette DP carry branding from TOTAL in the final two races of the 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series championship, starting with this weekend’s Continental Tire Sports Car Festival at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Action Express Racing broke onto the racing scene with a huge victory at Daytona in 2010, and enters the final stages of the 2013 GRAND-AM season firmly in the mix for the Rolex Series championship title. With five podium finishes so far this season, including wins at Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen, the two-car team has developed into a full fledged championship contender.

Aware that time is running out if he is to retain his Ferrari drive for a ninth season, Felipe Massa didn't quite convince at today's press conference.

The popular Brazilian has said that if he loses his drive with Ferrari he will quit F1. Trailing his teammate by 84 points, with the likes of Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta and Jules Bianchi being linked with his seat, it was hard not to believe that this might be his final appearance at Monza in the scarlet of the Maranello outfit.

Lotus confirms sponsorship deal with EmaarLotus has announced a new two-year sponsorship deal with Emaar Properties on the eve of this weekend's 2013 F1 Italian Grand Prix.

The agreement with the Dubai-based residential and commercial property investment company is for two years and will see Emaar enjoy a presence on the team's E21 car, in addition to a range of other Lotus F1 Team 'marketing collateral'. Emaar logos will appear on the E21 for the first time on Friday, when practice commences at Monza.

Details Scarce About Sauber F1 Team's Trio Of Russian InvestorsThe announced investment in the Sauber F1 Team by three Russian partners remains wrapped in a mystery as two investors would not provide any specifics regarding their involvement, while collaboration with the third company, the National Institute of Aviation Technologies, is going to be just “a technical partnership,” according to the team. In addition to NIAT, the Russian investors are government-backed investment funds the Investment Cooperation Int'l Fund and the State Fund of Development of North-West Russian Federation.

Last month, Sauber issued a statement saying that the collaboration with Russian partners "is progressing well" and that “initial payments to the team have already been made, as per contract." However, Sauber would not provide any specifics as to what company provided the "initial payments" and what the size of it was in response to a request from SBD Global. Similarly, the F1 team gave only vague responses to a request to clarify the nature of “a purely technical partnership” with NIAT, also mentioned in the statement.

Raikkonen found himself deflecting rumors of a move to FerrariKimi Raikkonen once again found himself caught in a riptide of rumor on Thursday as Ferrari's home race brought increased speculation of a return there.

No sooner had the Finn's interest in the vacant Red Bull seat finally been ended than he was forced to fend off questions about a move back to the Scuderia. That Ferrari's home race takes place on Sunday can only add to the swell of speculation surrounding a possible return to the team with whom Raikkonen won the 2007 title, yet there is an undercurrent in the Monza paddock that the 33-year-old is seen as a genuine option.

Firestone Indy Lights Houston broadcast to follow second IZOD IndyCar Series raceThe NBC Sports Network broadcast time of the Firestone Indy Lights race in Houston has moved to 4 p.m. (ET) Oct. 6, following live coverage of the second IZOD IndyCar Series race on the street circuit.

NBCSN's broadcast of the Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Baltimore on Sept. 1 delivered the highest viewership in 10 races this season.

Raikkonen wants answers from LotusKimi Raikkonen says he will not open discussions with Lotus over a 2014 race seat until the assurances he has been seeking throughout the season are provided.

With his options being narrowed after Red Bull picked Daniel Ricciardo to partner Sebastian Vettel next year, Lotus appears to be Raikkonen's most likely home, but an uncompleted deal with the Infinity Racing group has created financial uncertainty.

And while his questions remain unanswered, discussions are to remain at a halt.

Q: Let's start with the man of the moment, who I don't expect has stopped smiling since the announcement was made a few days ago that he is going to be joining Red Bull Racing next year. A fantastic moment for you Daniel, but how easy is it going to be for you to concentrate for the remainder of the season? How will you keep that focus?

I cannot blame Sauber, says FrijnsRobin Frijns says he holds no hard feelings towards Sauber after being informed by the team that he will not be retained as part of its driver pool for the 2014 campaign.

The Dutchman, 22, joined the Hinwil-based outfit as its reserve driver in November of last year, but well-documented financial troubles led to a tripartite deal with Russian investors, putting Sergey Sirotkin in prime position to take a coveted race seat.

Although dejected, Frijns admits that he has long been aware of the financial situation, and is not blaming team chiefs for the ultimate decision to part ways.

Sorenson replaces Speed in the #95Reed Sorenson will pilot the #95 Leavine Family Racing (LFR) Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) event this weekend at Richmond. Sorenson will drive for Leavine Family Racing this weekend and for the foreseeable future - with the exception of the Dover and Phoenix events. Leavine Family Racing is in discussions with multiple drivers in search for a driver of the #95 car for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Danica wins on Food Network's 'Chopped'Danica Patrick, NASCAR's biggest star, took on three other athletes in the Sept. 3 episode of "Chopped," the Food Network show hosted by Carmel, Ind., native Ted Allen. Patrick, who has taken classes at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif., won the cooking competition, beating former NFL running back Tiki Barber, celebrity bodyguard and Hells Angel Chuck Zito and 12-time Olympic medalist swimmer Natalie Coughlin. The athletes competed to win $10,000 for their favorite charity. Patrick's charity of choice was the COPD Foundation; her grandmother died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

NASCAR Atlanta TV Ratings (Update)UPDATE ESPN's live telecast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday night, Sept. 1, earned a 3.2 U.S. household rating, averaging 5,322,850 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company. The rating was down from the 3.4 for last year's race, which also aired on ESPN and averaged 5,557,932 viewers.

Greensboro, N.C., was the nation's highest-rated metered television market for the telecast, earning a 9.4 rating, while Greenville, S.C., was second with an 8.5 rating. Indianapolis (7.8), Knoxville, Tenn., (7.4) and Birmingham, Ala., (7.3) were third through fifth. The rest of the top 10 markets were Norfolk, Va., (6.9), Charlotte, N.C., (6.8), Louisville, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn., (6.4) and Richmond, Va., (6.3) ESPN

09/04/13 ESPN earned a 3.0 overnight for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday night, down from a 3.3 rating for the same Labor Day weekend race last year.

Baltimore Grand Prix Officials Happy With This Year's Race, Confident In Event's FutureThe Izod IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Baltimore needs to secure a new date for future events, but "most involved believe that open-wheel racecars will roar again," according to Don Markus of the Baltimore SUN. Event GM Tim Mayer said that what had "started out as a rocky marriage between the city and IndyCar has smoothed considerably."

While attendance figures for this year's race have not been released, Mayer said that the "general 'vibe' has been positive." Mayer: "This is a city that has needed to see this operate smoothly and want to associate their name with it. Last year was a rescue situation, and who wants to be part of a rescue? This year they are seeing it not as a rescue but as a proper event. ... I think it's really on firm footing for the future."

Time Warner Cable Signs On To Sponsor Earnhardt's Car, Expands Kahne DealTime Warner Cable is expanding its sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports, adding primary sponsorship for five races on the No. 88 car with Dale Earnhardt Jr. this season and two races on the No. 5 car with Kasey Kahne.

The deal closes out the open inventory on the No. 88 and No. 5 cars this year. With TWC, Earnhardt now has a sponsor for five of the 13 races that were available on the No. 88 at the start of the season. The eight remaining primary sponsorships were taken by the National Guard, bringing its total number of races from 20 to 28, industry sources said. PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew brand sponsors five races on the No. 88.

Graham Rahal drove the No. 15 blu eCigs Dallara-Honda-Firestone on two configurations of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course today and was happy for the opportunity to drive his Indy car in this historic test. He completed 44 laps on the course used for the GRAND-AM event and 20 laps in the afternoon on the reverse configuration with the MotoGP loop.

The test was organized by Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR officials to gather information about the current course layouts as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway considers changes and upgrades. Speedway officials plan to invest nearly $100 million in the facility as part of a long-term master plan that could include modifications to the road course to allow it to accommodate INDYCAR testing or racing in the future.

Minor alterations made to Monza circuitMinor alterations have been made to the curbing of the Monza circuit ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, in a bid to avoid a repeat of incidents similar to that experienced by Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne during the 2012 event.

Last season's race saw Vergne become airborne over the Turn 1 chicane, having lost control under braking. Entering the corner at a sideways angle, the kerbing launched his car into the air, before he suffered a heavy landing. To remedy the situation, circuit officials have lengthened the lead edges of the curbs at the apexes of Turns 1 and 4.

Heaphy, who was also fined $2,500, is the girlfriend of Mike Skeen, who was competing in his first race for Eddie Sharp Racing. Heaphy was there on a single-race credential, so NASCAR could not suspend her in the way that it normally suspends team members. Instead, NASCAR announced that Heaphy will be “denied access to all NASCAR events indefinitely.” Papis, who had tangled with Skeen on the final lap and then on the cool-down laps, was not penalized.

FIA retains two DRS zones for MonzaThe Italian Grand Prix will again feature two DRS zones this season. As per 2011 and 2012, these have been placed on the runs to the chicanes of Rettifilo and Ascari.

The first detection point comes shortly before the entry to Lesmo 2, with the activation area situated along the Curva del Serraglio. A second detection line is located ahead of the Parabolica, after which drivers can use the device again on the main straight.

Monaco is the only Grand Prix to have featured a sole DRS zone so far this season.

Sauber has informed reserve driver Robin Frijns that he is not a part of the team's future plans, with the Dutchman to depart when his contract expires this month.

Despite winning the Formula Renault 3.5 crown and subsequently securing a back-up role with Hinwil-based Sauber at the end of last year, Frijns has endured a turbulent 2013. Although there was early promise, the 22-year-old has been given little cockpit time, with a brief outing at the Silverstone Young Driver test the highlight.

Andretti putting Ferrari on pole at Monza in 1982. The place went nuts.

Racing fans will be treated to the voice of one of the greatest drivers of all-time this weekend. Mario Andretti will join NBCSN’s coverage of the Formula One Italian Grand Prix from historic Monza for pre-race, race and post-race broadcasts as a guest analyst.

Andretti won at Monza in 1977 and also clinched the 1978 Formula One World Championship there . Andretti’s distinguished list of awards and accomplishments include Driver of the Century honors by both the Associated Press and RACER Magazine, and over 100 victories during his five-decade career.

If it were NASCAR, Dixon would be suspended for a year for what he said about IndyCar, and then after the year his car would fail inspection repeatedly for another 2 to 3 years. But before that he would be brought into the NASCAR red trailer, sat down and told "boy if you ever open your mouth again and criticize our product, you will be banned from this sport for life. Got that boy?"

Scott Dixon expects to be fined by IndyCar for calling for race director Beaux Barfield to be fired following a second consecutive frustrating race that affected his championship chances.

Dixon told The Associated Press on Wednesday after a few days to cool off, he realized he probably deserves a penalty for his frank comments after crashing out of Sunday's race at Baltimore.

"Reflecting on it, I shouldn't have been so outspoken and I probably will be fined for it and I respect that," Dixon said. "It was just frustration of a two-week period. For me, I love the sport, I want to see it better and what I did didn't help. My concern is not making things look bad for the series. I love my job and don't want to be doing anything else, and I don't want it to be perceived otherwise. I want to learn from the mistakes we've made."

Jeff Burton out of the #31 car after 2013Jeff Burton, driver of the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS for Richard Childress Racing, has announced he will not be driving that car after the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Burton, 46, has driven for RCR since 2005. The native of South Boston, Va., has won four of his 21 NSCS victories with the team. He also earned seven NASCAR Nationwide Series wins with RCR and was an integral part of their 2007 NNS Owner's Championship. "I strongly believe in the #31 team as to what we can achieve this year, and for the team in seasons to follow," Burton said. "However, the financial realities for next year were obvious to both Richard (Childress) and me. So, we talked about it and both made the decision to make this move for the team's future. I would like to thank the dealers, customers and employees of Caterpillar for all we've achieved together. You can't ask for a better and more supportive sponsor than those people, and it's been an honor to wear their black and yellow colors on my uniform." Caterpillar will continue to sponsor the #31 Chevrolet SS. "Jeff has been a true professional in every sense of the word," said Greg Towles, Cat Racing Program Director. "On behalf of Caterpillar dealers, customers and Cat employees, we thank Jeff for his commitment to the #31 team and the Cat Racing program." A new driver (Ryan Newman rumored) for the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS will be named in the future.

Dan and Seb will get equal treatmentRed Bull team principal Christian Horner has dismissed suggestions that Daniel Ricciardo will effectively be a number two driver next year.

Ricciardo will partner three-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel at Milton Keynes from 2014 after he was confirmed as the retiring Mark Webber's replacement earlier this week.

However, don't expect the 24-year-old to take a backseat to Vettel as the team are promising to give them equal treatment.

"The decision to take a junior driver doesn't mean anything changes," Horner said. "Both drivers will get the same opportunity and the same equipment, but inevitably there will be a natural pecking order determined by the driver who is in front on track. Sebastian has won a lot of races and is a multiple World Champion, so with that comes a lot of expectation. But the reality is that both drivers, as has always been the case, will get identical opportunity and equipment."

Time Warner Cable Expands Sponsorship Of Hendrick MotorsportsTime Warner Cable is expanding its sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports, adding primary sponsorship this season for five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on the No. 88 car with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and two races on the No. 5 car with Kasey Kahne. The deal closes out the open inventory on the No. 88 and No. 5 cars this year. With TWC, Earnhardt now has a sponsor for five of the 13 races that were available on the No. 88 at the start of the season. The eight other primary sponsorships were taken by the National Guard, bringing its total number of races from 20 to 28. Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Daily

NASCAR Announces IMSA Staff ChangesNASCAR announced Wednesday the hiring of David Hart as its Director, International Motor Sports Ass’n (IMSA) Communications and the promotion of Nate Siebens to Senior Manager, IMSA Communications.

Hart, a seasoned motorsports communications professional, will lead all communications efforts for IMSA following the conclusion of this year’s Grand-Am Road Racing season, as he completes his current responsibilities with Grand-Am team 8Star Motorsports. He will begin his new role with NASCAR and IMSA on Sept. 30, and join the IMSA Communications team for the final two 2013 American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patron events. Hart’s focus will then shift to planning around the inaugural United SportsCar Racing season set to launch in 2014. He will be based out of IMSA’s Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters.

New boss ready to overhaul month of May in Indy (Update)UPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1, I saw your caption about Tony George killing the month of May and the sport of IndyCar racing. It's really unbelievable. This man squandered a family fortune, ruined an entire sport and the industry surrounding it. And for what exactly? Please, someone tell me, how does Tony George sleep at night? Don Sanders, Chantilly, Virginia

09/04/13

After Tony George started the IRL, split the sport and killed it, the majority of the month of May the Indy grandstands are empty. Not only did he kill the sport, he cost his family a lot of money and that loss continues to this day.

The Hulman-George family has long needed a change agent to turn around the IndyCar Series and re-energize the month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

It appears the family has that in Mark Miles, who became Hulman & Co. CEO in December, and arguably one of his boldest initiatives is taking a big leap forward this week at the Speedway.

On Wednesday, IndyCar drivers Graham Rahal and Ryan Briscoe will turn laps on the Speedway’s 2.6-mile road course in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.

Fans getting fed up with whining Indy Car driversI'm starting to be disappointed in watching IndyCar. Not the product, or the races themselves, but the rules, whining, bitching and complaining. I've never heard so much whining from every driver on the grid. It's getting old, and I wonder how these drivers would cope if they were racing in the days of CART in the early 1990s. I'm sorry, but that “avoidable contact” rule needs to be thrown out. Besides, what really constitutes avoidable contact? It's racing, it's going to happen. So what you got punted, isn't that what all the great Indy car drivers of the past are famous for? The Chrome Horn? I'm not just talking Paul Tracy, but Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser Jr. Michael Andretti, these and other “named” drivers have all been guilty of “avoidable contact,” and there was never a punishment. (Watch Cleveland 1995 for an example).

Mark Martin said Tuesday he expects to continue to work with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, after Tony Stewart returns back to the cockpit of the #14 SHR Chevy. Martin and his wife, Arlene, were at SHR's shop in Kannapolis, N.C., on Tuesday during Stewart's first press conference since breaking his right leg in two places in a sprint car accident in August. Afterward, Martin told FOXSports.com he likely will do testing for SHR next year, as well as work with Danica Patrick on helping her get more comfortable behind the wheel of her #10 SHR Chevy.

Baltimore result shows depth of IZOD IndyCar Series fieldFive different IZOD IndyCar Series teams were represented in the top five and eight in the top 10 of the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT on Sept. 1.

Justin Wilson, who overcame early brake issues and being spun late in the grueling 75-lap race on the 2.04-mile, 12-turn street circuit, isn't surprised. The depth of competition has been the strongest he's witnessed in years.

"Every weekend you know you have a chance," said Wilson, who started fourth in the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America car for Dale Coyne Racing. "You just have to make the most out of it and not make any mistakes. It's a tough championship. So many good drivers and so many good teams, you need everything to go just right."

Briscoe, Panther to Test Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road CoursePanther Racing and driver Ryan Briscoe will join Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Graham Rahal for a Wednesday test session on multiple configurations of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The test is being organized by IMS and IndyCar officials to gather information about the current course layouts as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway considers changes and upgrades.

“I thought Sonoma would be the last time I would be driving an IndyCar for some time, so to get the invite to be part of this test is really cool,” Briscoe said. “It’s always special to drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – whether it’s on the oval or any other course. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Rahal team to test HawksworthRahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced today that it is scheduled to test Firestone Indy Lights rookie and race winner Jack Hawksworth, 22, at Sebring International Raceway on September 17. It will be the first time for Hawksworth to drive an Indy car.

“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of an IndyCar!” said Hawksworth. “I have been working towards this moment since the day I first jumped into a go-kart many years ago, and I feel ready to use all those years of experience now at the highest level. Thank you to my management team, my supporters, Honda, Firestone and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for handing me this great opportunity. Looking further ahead to 2014, I would obviously love to be in an IndyCar seat, and if that happens, my aim will be the same as it has always been – to maximize my potential and that of the team and score as many points as possible. My goal isn’t simply to compete in IndyCar, it is to ultimately win IndyCar races and championships – and I know without any doubt that I can.”

Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards didn't expect each other to drive the way they did Sunday night, and both seemed flabbergasted by the other's explanation of their near-crashes at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The two drivers spoke for about five minutes shortly after the race before Gordon walked away. They spoke again briefly in the driver motorhome lot about 15 minutes later and shook hands. While Edwards made a point to say he didn't think the hard feelings would linger, it was obvious that both weren't satisfied with at least the initial discussion. Early in the race, Gordon slid in front of Edwards for position. Edwards and Gordon were later battling side by side and made contact.

Marshall Pruett: We always talk about TV at some point, so let's close on that topic. Team owners tell me every week – and I'm sure they tell you every day – that they need higher ratings to increase the value of the sponsorships they're trying to sell. The network races bring higher ratings, which is what you'd expect, but are there any immediate moves you can make to bring the cable ratings up?

Mark Miles: The first thing I'd say is we obviously want to have higher, stronger television ratings. Even with the ratings that we have today, there's a lot of value in our business-to-business sponsorships. So to me the way I think of it is, OK, yeah, but we want to get beyond that and be more appealing for commercial brands, but we're looking at how to improve the overall value for our teams, and it isn't only through ratings.

After Baltimore, IndyCar now goes dark for ... a monthAfter successive races in Sonoma and Baltimore that were filled with crashes, angry drivers and unexpected names on the podiums, the Izod IndyCar Series disappears until Oct. 5-6, when it has a doubleheader on the streets of Houston. That hardly seems a recipe for building momentum and fan interest heading into the series' final three races of the year. After Houston, the finale is Oct. 19 on the fast, two-mile oval in Fontana. Mark Miles wants to eliminate this scenario next year and make sure there are no big gaps in the schedule at the end. Hence wanting to end by Labor Day.

Dixon is on a rampage, calls Cindric 'piece of shit', Power an 'Aussie wanker'After his car and IndyCar championship hopes were run into the wall, New Zealand driver Scott Dixon was not afraid to vent.

In his crosshairs? Australian driver Will Power, Penske Racing president Tim Cindric and IndyCar race director Beaux Barfield.

In a weekend that promised so much for Dixon after claiming pole, he left the Grand Prix of Baltimore 49 points behind series leader Helio Castroneves after a 53rd lap restart incident that only increased the tension between Dixon's Chip Ganassi team and Power's Team Penske.

Infiniti Red Bull Racing confirms that Daniel Ricciardo will drive for the Team in 2014, as part of a multi-year agreement between the two. As Sebastian Vettel is already confirmed for next year, this concludes the Team’s 2014 driver line-up.

Christian Horner: “It’s fantastic to confirm Daniel as the team’s race driver for 2014. He’s a very talented youngster, he’s committed, he’s got a great attitude and in the end it was a very logical choice for us to choose Daniel. He joined the Red Bull Junior Team in 2008 and we’ve seen in his junior career in Formula 3 and Renault World Series that he’s capable of winning races and championships. He’s stood out in each of these categories and we’ve followed his progress with great interest. He’s got all the attributes that are required to drive for our team: he’s got a great natural ability, he’s a good personality and a great guy to work with. Daniel knows what the team expects from him; he’ll learn quickly and it’s very much a medium to long term view that we’re taking in developing him. The seat within the team is a wonderful opportunity and I think he’s going to be a big star of the future.”

"The average American sports fan has the attention span of a chipmunk, so Sunday's race was everything we ever wanted in a Grand Prix but were ashamed to admit."

Peter Schmuck

No doubt, a lot of open-wheel racing aficionados were shaking their heads after the Grand Prix of Baltimore turned into a demolition derby on Sunday, but the "chaos" that prevailed on the debris-strewn downtown course was just what the event needed to capture our admittedly primitive imaginations.

This is America. We don't like soccer. We don't like chess. We didn't even like real baseball until the steroid scandal shamed us back into it.

Let's be honest, we claim we want to support public broadcasting, but we'd rather watch Shark Week. So, yes, the purists probably didn't like the fact that the Grand Prix turned into a high-speed war of attrition, but the casual fans who are really the key to the success of the event are more likely to come back to next year's race (if they can find a suitable date) if it promises to be another fender-bending fiasco.

IndyCar's popularity rests with finding it's next Mario Andretti (Update)UPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, Your headline is partially right. IndyCar MUST find the next hero. Mario was a fan drawing hero because he did heroic things that captured the publics imagination. Part of his heroics was beating hero’s like Foyt, Unser, Rutherford etc. Hero’s drive sports.

How can this IndyCar argument still be going on? It has been obvious for years what INDYCAR’s problem is. There is no American hero’s to cheer for or engage with or follow. How can this be so difficult to understand? Zak Brown is only partially right when he says “it’s absolutely essential” for drivers to forge connections with the public. The American general public will never follow Pagenaud, or Conway, or Salo or even Dixon or Dario. Yes they appreciate great drivers but they have proven for years that they are not ‘connected emotionally” to them. These drivers do however drive the headlines in their own countries.

Todt rule started 'difficult moment' for F1 - Berger(GMM) As a new race to lead F1's governing body kicks off, Gerhard Berger has become the second major figure to question the success of current president Jean Todt's rule.

David Ward, a close former colleague of Max Mosley, has announced his intention to stand against Frenchman Todt in December's election.

Comments by Mosley on Sunday might be interpreted as the battle's opening salvo, when he said Todt was partly to blame for the financial struggle of many F1 teams because he "was never a friend of cost limits".

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